Legend of Zelda: Entwined Destinies
by Mackly
Summary: As tensions rise between two neighboring kingdoms, a young knight discovers he has a destiny far greater than anything he could have possibly imagined.
1. Chapter 1: Tear of the Goddess

I was just a knight once. A servant of the crown, a warrior. Hardly the most skilled of sword in the ranks of the kings men, nor the most accurate of bow, nor possessive of the most strength. Still I served my king and country, as all men did. I had no right to do any less. I never aspired to greatness, though fate, it seemed, had other plans. I became the hero I never wanted to be.

It is thus I write in my final of days, of my failure. That heroes whom rise in the coming days might learn of my mistakes, and right the wrongs I left in this world. It is no longer my place to carry sword nor shield. That is the way of this world. The old die so the young may take their place.

I have fought all my life against this evil, and though my strength was not enough to defeat it, I leave my legacy to aid those who follow. I shall be long since dead when this evil rises again, but I have done all that I could.

And now, hero, the story of my life, of war and adventure, of love and loss, of Gods and Kings, a tale which stretches across time and space itself, since long before I was born.

_ Part 1: Tear of the Goddess_

I was born in the crown city, Catel of Hylia, to parents whose faces have long since faded, in the age 1481. I joined the ranks of the city guard at the age of 15. Though not the strongest of men, I served the crown well, and my deeds did not go unnoticed. I was assigned to the castle guard at 17, and later to the Princess's personal guard at 18. It is there which my story begins.

Tensions between the Hylian kingdom and surrounding nations had been growing for some time. Princess Zelda Olivia Scarlett Hyrule was sent as a diplomatic envoy to the neighboring kingdom of Thermin. Though she wished to travel with only a single aide, her father, King Alastair Venedict Hyrule VI insisted she take a personal guard. Though I had little personal interaction with the Princess, she personally selected me from her guard, and I was named Knight of the Goddess, Sir Link Octavious of Hylia.

We set out for Thermin on the celebration of my birth, nineteen years to the day, in the age 1500. A small envoy, three guardsmen including myself, two personal aides, and the Princess. And though it was more direct to travel by land, it was determined the Princess would be safer on a ship. The Imperial Hylian Vessel _Din's Flame_ was chosen to carry us to the Great Bay of Thermin, and from there we would make our way inland on horseback to the city of Clockwork. Though far from the Therminan crown city of Ika, the Therminan King had denied us entry to his city. Clockwork was the next closest town of any consequence, and so it was decided the Princess would meet their diplomatic party there. Joining us would be those from the kingdoms of Labrya and Holod. Labrya had sided with Hylia, and though somewhat reluctantly, Holod had sided with Thermin.

It was a two week trip aboard _Din's Flame_ to Thermin, with little else to do than sleep or practice my swordplay. The rolling ocean waves made the latter difficult, so I set to spending my days on the deck, staring out over the ocean. I spent much time in thought, wondering why the Princess had chosen me, a commoner of all people, as her Champion. There were surely more skilled warriors in the ranks of the King's men, and certainly those of more noble blood.

During my Knighting ceremony, the King had looked down at me, with disapproval. As though he were expecting me to fail in my duty. I wasn't entirely sure he was wrong to doubt me. I had told none of this to the Princess. She needed to be certain and confident in my service to her, even if I wasn't.

More confusing to me was on the second to last day of our journey. I was sitting on the deck, pondering these thoughts when the Princess joined me. She had changed from her ornate pink and white dress, donning instead a simple blue skirt and a white, short sleeved vest. She had tied her hair into a flowing ponytail. I hadn't heard her approach, and was quite shocked when I discovered her sitting next to me, for how long she had been there I was unsure. I quickly stood from my perch on the deck in respect, embarrassed at my rudeness. She just looked up at me and smiled.

"Join me. Please."

I returned to my seat and stared at the sea, somewhat uncomfortable sitting in the presence of Royalty. It was my duty to follow her command, regardless of what it may be.

"Speak your mind, Link."

Again, I was taken aback. It was not the place of a commoner to speak to the Princess in such a manner, even if he was a knight. She seemed to notice the puzzled look on my face.

"Link, you need not be nervous. You and I, we aren't so different. Speak your mind."

I raised my eyes, and looked at her. Slowly, I spoke, " It is not my place, Princess. You need not concern yourself with me."

"It is my duty to concern myself with the wellbeing of my people. As it is your duty to concern yourself with my wellbeing. As I said, we are not so different. We both serve, in our own way, to a higher authority."

Again, somewhat shocked. "There is no higher authority than the crown, Princess."

"And the crown serves at the will of it's people. And the people exist at the will of the Goddess. My family may have been chosen to lead our kingdom, but we all serve the Goddess." My eyes fell back to the rolling waves below us, I remained silent. She gently placed her hand on my shoulder. "Link, I have entrusted you with my life. In return, I only ask you trust me with your thoughts."

My eyes returned their gaze to hers. I slowly nodded, and spoke. "I still wonder Princess, why you chose me?"

This was her turn to be shy. Her hand slipped from my shoulder, and her eyes peered out over the sea. "That is a complicated question, my Knight. And one I am not entirely certain I know the answer to. For now, know that I believe that Hylia has brought us together for a reason."

We sat in silence for a long while after that, staring out over the ocean. The ships crew, at the insistence of the Princess, went about their duties, ignoring us.

After some time, the Princess looked up at me with that same smile. For a brief moment, I mused, that she was quite beautiful. I quickly banished such thoughts from my mind. She quietly spoke to me, "There is something I wish for you to see." I stood from my place on the deck, and offered her my hand as she did the same. She motioned for me to follow her, and we descended into the ship.

We walked deep into the ship, past crew who felt the need to salute as we passed. Though I could tell it made the Princess uncomfortable, she said nothing to dissuade them. We arrived at her personal quarters, on the Officers deck. The ships first officer had given up his quarters for the Princess, and the ships second officer had given his to me, just across the corridor from the Princess. She entered her room, and I nervously followed, and closed the door behind me. I stood near the door, as she pulled a small, black box from a drawer in a cabinet along the wall. She sat gracefully upon the bed, and motioned for me to join her. I approached, but elected to remain standing. She opened the box and the whole room seemed to darken slightly. She pulled a blue, diamond shaped gem, which glowed faintly. She held it in cupped hands, and reached out toward me.

I was mesmerized by the gem. "What is it?" I asked.

"We call it the Tear of the Goddess. It's been passed down through the royal family for generations. My mother gave this to me before she died. It's said that this fell from the eye of the Goddess Hylia herself, after the Darkness fell upon the Sacred Realm."

"You must forgive me Princess, but I was never much on history."

She replaced the gem into its box, and once again motioned for me to sit with her. When I again refused, she gave me a disappointed look, and I reluctantly sat beside her. She began, "Long ago, before the Goddesses created our world, there was a kingdom of Gods. It is said that Hylia was their Queen, and she lived in a great city, which we call Hyperion.

"Though we often think of the Gods as perfect beings, the legend would seem to disprove that. They succumb to hatred and violence just as we do. It was the very same reason we make our journey now that lead to the downfall of the Kingdom of the Gods. The threat of war.

"One of the Gods had used a powerful magic to create being of unparalleled power. One which he intended to use to tear down the Kingdom. A plan which he unfortunately did not live to see come to fruition, as his own creation destroyed him. The beast, left to it's own devices, left a swath of death and destruction in it's wake. Within just a few days, Hyperion lay in ruins. Hylia and her three aids were all that remain. And that they used their power to lock the dark beast away. Din, Farore, and Nayru had given their lives to ensure that this Darkness could not threaten anyone else. With her people gone, Hylia wept, and her tears pooled at her feet, and formed this gem." She lay her hand upon the box. "It is said that should the Darkness return, that a great hero would rise. And that this gem would aid him in it's defeat."

The Princess sat in silence for a long while, lost in thought. I seemed to do the same, running over our conversation on the deck. I could not resist inquiring of her. "Do you think the Darkness is returning Princess?"

She looked up at me, shocked, almost as though she were thinking the same thing. She laid her hand over her heart, and sat in silence for a while longer. Finally, she said. "I have felt a great evil in this world. Whether it be the Darkness of the Hyperion legend or simply the shadow of war looming over us, I do not know."

Again, we sat it silence for a while. Again, I reached a somewhat wild conclusion. "Do you think I could be the hero from the legend?"

And again, the Princess looked at me with the same shocked expression. She said nothing.

"You said you believed Hylia had brought us together for a reason. You showed me the Tear, you told me the story. Am I the hero?" I stood from my spot on the bed Her eyes began to well up with tears, which streamed down her face and left dark spots on her skirt. "I have trusted you with my thoughts Princess. I would ask only for yours." I felt as though I had perhaps overstepped a bit, but I wanted to know. I needed to know why she had chosen me.

Through her tears, she quietly whispered one word. "Yes." Her tears came in full force now. I knew I had gone to far. I sat slowly back down onto the bed, and gently placed my arm around her. She buried her face against me and cried.

"I am sorry Princess. I should not have pushed you. I would ask your forgiveness."

She slowly looked up to see me. Her eyes were red from her crying. "You have no need of it, my Knight. I could not keep this from you forever. You have every right to know."

"And I have no right to cause a Princess to shed tears. I will leave you to your thoughts Princess." I stood to retire to my own quarters, but she gripped the back of my tunic.

"Stay. Please. Do not leave me."

While I once again felt uncomfortable being on such familiar terms with Royalty, I could not disobey her wishes. I did not answer her, but simply sat again on the edge of her bed. She wrapped her arms around me and cried for a long while before finally falling asleep. I simply sat there, awake and lost in thought.


	2. Chapter 2: The Shores of Thermin

Late in the night, I had moved the Princess into her bed, and retired to my own across the hall. I was unable to sleep, instead laying awake in the darkness listening to the ocean waves splash against the side of the ship. The crew began their work long before the first of dawn's light appeared on the horizon. I lay in my bed until the sun peered into my quarters, then changed into a fresh set of clothes. A drab gray tunic, white pants, and brown leather gauntlets and boots, same as all the Royal Guard wore, choosing to forgo the light chainmail usually worn underneath. As Knight of the Princess, I wore a golden shoulder plate over my right arm, adorned with the crest of the Royal Family, a great bird with wings spread.

As I rose from the lower deck, I noticed the Princess near the bow of the ship. She had changed from clothing the day before into a red skirt and brown vest in similar style to the first. As I approached, I noticed she was humming a song, the tune of which I did not recognize. I stepped up behind her, and placed my hand on her shoulder.

She spun quickly to face me, leaning against the railing on the side of the deck. Her hair whipped around her head, landing haphazardly on her left shoulder. "Good Morning Link!" She said, exuberantly. Her melancholy mood from the previous night seeming to have passed, she wore the same smile on her lips.

I clasped my hands behind my back. "Princess."

"We shall reach the shores of Thermin today. I have spoken with the captain, and he believes we will arrive this evening."

"Do you believe you can represent Hyrule to the King of Thermin, Princess?"

Her smile faded. "I am not sure, my Knight." She turned again back to face the ocean. "But if it will avert war, I will do what I can. And you will be at my side to assist as you are able."

"I am not a diplomat Princess."

"Perhaps not. But you have a strength of heart and courage far beyond my own." She once again turned to face me, a smile once again upon her lips. "And you make me happy!"

I could not stifle a smile of my own. It pleased me greatly to know, if nothing else, I was improving the Princess's mood, though I was unsure of how exactly. "Perhaps your exuberance shall not be lost on the King of Thermin, Princess."

Her smile grew wider. She pushed herself away from the deck railing, and wrapped her arm around my own. "Would you escort me to the galley Link. I think I should like to eat something."

We talked at length over our meal of nothing of any particular importance. We spoke of the bland and boring food served to us aboard ship, and how we would make it our first priority to find a decent restaurant in the port town on our arrival. The Princess seemed interested in my childhood for some reason. Not that there was much to tell. My father was a smith, and my mother a clothmaker and we lived an extraordinarily uneventful life. I never even left the city until I was 15, during my training.

She confessed to me that she herself never saw a stone beyond the castle grounds until her 15th birthday, when her mother had taken her into the city. She smiled wide when recounting that particular story. A smile which quickly faded when she was done. I remembered the Queens death well. She was given a state funeral. They carried her coffin down the main boulevard of the city. I was serving as a low ranking city guard at the time, and watched as the funeral procession passed by. It was the first time I had ever seen the King in person. I determined I should not tell of that day to the Princess.

After our meal, we returned to the same spot on the deck on which we had sat the night before, and looked out over the sea for quite some time. Late in the afternoon, we noticed a commotion in the ships crew, and quietly made our way to the bow of the ship. There, through the fog and the splash of the ocean waves we could see land. A rolling green hillside and a bustling town on the ocean. Our first view of Thermin.

We didn't stay to watch our landfall. The Princess took me back to her quarters, where she pulled a large white box from beneath her bed, and handed it to me.

"Another of the Goddesses gifts, Princess?" I inquired.

"Not exactly. Open it, please."

I set the box upon the bed, and lifted the lid. Inside I found a tunic in deep green, complete with chainmail. Similar to the uniforms worn my the Royal Guard, though much more ornate. It's clasps were plated in gold, and I found the Royal Crest embroidered in several places. Completing the ensemble were steel plated boots and gauntlets. The armor of a Knight. Of a Noble. Something a commoner like myself would never likely lay hands on.

"This one is a gift from me." The Princess stood next to me. "I should very much like for you to wear this during our time in Thermin."

"I am honored Princess, but this is the armor of a Noble. It is not for a man like myself."

"The nobility of your blood means little to me. You are my Knight, and until I say otherwise, no man, Noble or not, has the authority to contradict me. I would like for you to wear this."

"Of course Princess." She nodded toward the armor. I mouthed the word 'Now?' to which she simply smiled and nodded.

She turned to leave the room so that I could change. I gingerly pulled the armor from its box. Removing my standard Guardsmans uniform and changing into the new armor, I found that everything fit perfectly, and came to the conclusion that the Princess must have had it custom made before we left Hylia. I pulled my golden shoulder plate over the tunic, and then noticed one final piece. A hat, the point of which fell to the middle of my back. I cracked the door, indicating to the Princess that she could enter.

She looked me over, smoothing out a few wrinkles in the fabric. "I'm not really sure about this." I said, pointing to the hat.

She simply smiled, and said, "I think I like it." I rolled my eyes, but she just smiled wider. "Now if you will excuse me, I must change myself before we make port." I nodded, and left the room, closing the door behind me. I briefly entered my room across the hall and retrieved my sword

I made my way back up to the deck, getting bemused looks from the crew as they passed. I climbed up to the command deck, where the captain and officers stood, making preparations to land upon Thermin.

The captain noticed my presence and made his way over to me. An old, gruff man with an unkempt gray beard. "That armor suits you boy. A proper Knight of the crown now." I nodded my thanks. "Though I'm not sure about the hat."

I laughed quietly, and then responded. "The Princess seems to like it. I suppose that's all that matters."

"True enough. I have not seen the Princess in some time. How has her journey upon our fair vessel been?"

"Well enough I suppose. Though I feel she is much more suited to the land than the sea."

The captain let out a hearty laugh. "As are you." He said, noting my loss of balance as a strong wave rocked the deck. The captain said nothing else, returning to his duties of preparing the ship for dock.

I watched from the command deck as the bustling port town came nearer and nearer. An hour or so after I had left, the Princess emerged from below deck. She had once again donned her ornate Royal dress, an elegant pink and white. Her hair was done in an complex braid which fell below her shoulders, and a jeweled tiara sat upon her head. She wore a serious expression, her smile gone. This was the Princess of Hylia, not the carefree girl I had come to know. I made my way down from the command deck, and noticed she held in her hand a shining blue and white shield emblazoned with the Royal crest, and a sword of pure white.

"Such weapons are not becoming of a Princess." I said as I made my way across the deck toward her.

"Then it is good that these are for you. A guardsmans sword is not becoming of a Knight." She lifted the heavy sword and shield and handed them to me. I quickly unhooked the worn leather which bound my sword around my chest, and threw the new weapon over my back. It's clasp, which lay over my heart was fashioned in a familiar design, three stacked triangles. Even I had heard of the three Goddesses, Din, Farore, and Nayru. The Triforce was a symbol of their power. I handed my old sword to one of the other Royal Guards who stood with the Princess.

I pulled the sword from its scabbard. It's blade was a dark steel, strong, yet light, and polished to a mirror finish. From a distance it's hilt appeared white, but I noticed now it shown a light blue.

After admiring the blade for a moment, the Princess placed her hand over mine, gripped around the hilt of the sword. "Swords are often named for the men who wield them. As a Knight of the Hylian Royal Family and a chosen hero of Hylia herself, I have named this the Goddess Sword. May it serve you well." She bowed her head, saying a silent prayer to the Goddess for my protection. A common ceremony before an important mission.

The Princess was brought out of her prayer by a loud sound and the rocking of the boat as we made the dock. The Therminan guard, who were expecting our arrival, were already in place along the dock. A crew of dockworkers placed a long wooden ramp to our ship, and the pair of guards that had come with us stepped down the ramp, flanking either side at the bottom.

It was custom to announce the arrival of a Royal, and as the Knight of the Princess it was my duty to announce her. I stepped down the ramp, the Princess waiting at the top for her introduction. A pair of horns rang out as two of the Therminan guard gained the attention of the town. And then I cried out, in as loud a voice as I could muster, "People of Thermin! The Goddess Hylia walks your shores this day! Presenting her Highness, Princess Zelda Olivia Scarlett Hyrule of Hylia!" Another blast from the horn sounded as the Princess made her way down from the ship, followed by her two aides. A pair of Therminan Royal Guard approached, dressed more impressively than the town guard who lined the dock. They knelt to the Princess briefly before standing. I took note of their uniforms. A similar brand to the uniforms worn by Hylian guardsman, but in a deep blue and black rather than gray. They wore helmets which covered most of their faces, though I could see a bit of their dark skin and hair .

One of the men spoke. "Princess of Hylia. King Rhoslyn Alexander Coyne of Thermin bids you welcome upon this land. We have arranged for your party to stay in Port Town this night. We have also arranged for your transport to the town of Clockwork on the morrow ma'am. We hope this is to your satisfaction."

The Princess bowed slightly before she spoke. "I accept your King's welcome. Your arrangements will do nicely."

The guards saluted, and then turned and set off down the dock. The Princess followed, flanked on one side by me, and on the other by one of the guards, and the other followed behind her. The Therminan guard led us to the end of the dock, where a carriage awaited us, drawn by a pair of strong, white horses. One of the guards opened the door to the Carriage, and the other offered his hand to assist the Princess in stepping into the cabin, and I followed. The Princess motioned for the other guards to remain outside, and as the door shut, I noticed one of them jump up to the bench on the front of the carriage, next to the driver. Soon enough we heard the crack of the reigns, and we set off down the single road which formed the town.

I had removed my sword and shield and set them on the seat next to me. The Princess sat across from me. "I have to admit, Princess, I was expecting somewhat of a more hostile welcome. We are here, after all, to discuss the growing tensions between our kingdoms and dissuade the possibility of war."

"This is how politics work. The Therminan King does not wish to insult us. At least, not yet. Such things are often saved for the negotiating table."

"What do you think his next move will be?"

"I would think he will refuse to appear at the negotiations. He will send another in his place, bearing apologies that the King could not attend, claiming important business of the empire."

"But is that not what your Father the King has done by sending you in his place?"

"Yes, but that is somewhat of a different situation. My Father and the Therminan King both understand that it is not the place of a King to leave his Kingdom even for a moment with the shadow of war looming over him. Such a thing would show my Father's weakness, and could exacerbate the coming conflict."

I rubbed my temples for a moment, running over the intricacies of the political situation I had gotten myself into. "I'm not sure I'd be cut out to be a politician."

"Nor I a soldier." She reached across the small space and gripped my left hand. "That is why we must work together."

A few more minutes passed in silence. Eventually the carriage slowed, and then stopped, and one of the Therminan Guard opened the door. The pair of Hylian guards stood on either side of the door to a large building.

As we entered the building, we realized it was the town inn. One of the Therminan Guard explained. "These are the best accommodations this town could offer ma'am. I hope it is satisfactory."

The place was hardly befitting of a Princess, but the village was small. Little more than a collection of warehouses for goods to be stored prior to being shipped in or out of the kingdom. I had no doubt the guard was telling the truth when he said it was the best they had. The Princess spoke, "This will be fine. Thank you."

The guard continued, "We have a chef on hand. I can have him prepare an evening meal should you desire ma'am." The Princess said nothing, but shot me a quick glance. I turned to the guard and nodded her approval.

The two Therminan guards saluted, and then left, one entering a back room, likely the kitchen, and the other stepping outside. I signaled for my men to remain in the entrance room, while the Princess and I, followed by her aides, went to find rooms upstairs. The Princess took the first room she found, and I took one across the hall.

Our evening meal and the rest of the night passed without incident. We went to bed that night eager to begin our travel to Clockwork the next day.


	3. Chapter 3: The Bandit Prince

We left for Clockwork early the next morning in a pair of carriages like the one we had used the day before. The same two Therminan guards had seen us off, but had ridden their own horses ahead. The Princess and I rode together, and the two guards and the Princess' aides rode in the second, along with most of our belongings.

Our journey to Clockwork would require most of the day, and even leaving at the early hour we did, we wouldn't arrive until after the sun had set. The Princess took the opportunity to catch me up on the history of the four kingdoms which would be represented at these negotiations. Though I think it was more for the sake of testing her memory than for me, I hung on every word. And though I enjoyed learning the history of our land, I mostly enjoyed listening to her speak.

By midday we had covered most of the history of these lands, and had moved on to other topics. We stopped for an hour or so to rest the horses and to take a quick meal. While everyone else seemed to enjoy the stop, I couldn't help but feel that something was wrong. I couldn't place it, but there was something off about the area we had stopped in. I kept my hunch from the Princess, though she probably noticed anyway.

An hour or so after we resumed our journey, my suspicions were confirmed. The Princess and I were discussing more legends surrounding the Goddesses, particularly that of Farore. She seemed to intrigue me more so than the others. And then we heard yelling from outside, followed by several loud noises against the carriage itself. I opened the top portion of the door to the carriage, and took a look outside. I couldn't see who exactly, but someone was shooting arrows at us through the trees. I pushed myself partway onto the roof of the carriage and yelled for the driver. "What's going on!?"

"He turned briefly to see who was asking, and the faced the horses again. "Bandits!" He yelled.

"Bandits! You didn't think we should have known?!"

"Apologies sir, but they don't usually venture this far west!"

I dove back into the cabin, and grabbed my sword and shield. The Princess asked, "Who's attacking us?"

"Bandits." I replied. She gave me an inquisitive look. "They don't usually travel this far west." I rolled my eyes. "Stay down, you'll be safer."

The Princess crouched down as best she could on the cramped floor of the carriage. I thrust myself back out the door and onto the roof, pulling my sword and shield, though I was unsure how much use they'd be against an attack at distance. I tapped the driver on the shoulder to get his attention, and asked, "Do we have any weapons?"

"I keep a slingshot to fend off Keese."

"A slingshot? That's it?"

"Sorry sir, but we weren't expecting an attack." He reached down an grabbed the slingshot from his belt, along with a small bag of rocks, and handed them to me. I sheathed my sword, and took aim as best I could with the slingshot. I let a few rocks fly, but without knowing where and what I was aiming at, I didn't think I'd hit much. I slipped the slingshot into my belt and tied the bag of rocks onto it.

The slingshot of little use, I tapped the driver on the shoulder again. "We should stop!" I yelled.

He looked back at me. "Are you crazy? They'll kill us!"

"If they wanted to kill us, they'd be using fire arrows! They want the Princess alive!"

"And you want to give her to them?"

"If we let them get close we can fight back. Right now we're sitting ducks."

Suddenly, an arrow hit the driver in the chest. As he keeled over in pain, the horses veered off sharply. The driver fell to the ground, and we felt a large bump, likely the carriage running over his body. The carriage started to tilt, and I realized what was about to happen. With little time, I jumped off the back of the tipping vehicle, hit the ground hard and rolled up into a kneeling position, my momentum causing me to skid a short distance. I watched as the carriage tipped over, praying the Princess would be okay.

I ignored the horses whinnies of pain, as they had been dragged along with the heavy wooden carriage. I jumped onto the overturned side and threw open the door.

The Princess was laying against the opposite wall, with a few minor cuts. She was conscious and didn't appear to have suffered any serious injury. I asked the obvious question anyway. "Are you alright?"

"I think so." She answered, as I reached a hand down to pull her out of the carriage. As she awkwardly tried to climb out of the vehicle in her cumbersome dress, the second carriage pulled along side us.

One of the Hylian guards jumped down, and upon seeing that the Princess was okay, he asked, "What happened?"

I replied, while still assisting the Princess, "The driver got shot. He's dead. Pretty sure we ran over him after he fell. That's why we went over."

The second guard approached behind the first, "Who attacked us?"

The Princess, now sitting on the side of the overturned carriage answered, "I think we're about to find out."

I jumped down, and the Princess followed. I did my best to catch her. Her two aides ran up next. "Stay down, let us handle this." I told them, as the three women huddled next to the carriage.

I pulled my sword and shield, and the two guards pulled their swords, and the driver of the second carriage, though unarmed, joined us. We stood around the three women, as several horses came out of the trees and surrounded us. There was something familiar about their leader. I couldn't quite place it, but I was sure I had seen him before. His dark skin and hair reminded me of the Therminan guard who had greeted us in the Port Town. But it couldn't be? I had never gotten a good look at the man, as he had worn a helmet on each occasion I had seen him.

Not ready to make any accusations, I asked, "Who are you?"

"You mean you haven't figured it out yet?" He said as he jumped down from his horse. Several of the other bandits took aim at us with their bows. I noticed they were mostly women. I gave him no answer. He covered the sides of his face with his hands, as a helmet would cover it, and said in a mocking tone, "The king of Thermin bids you welcome on this land? You get it now, boy?"

My suspicions confirmed, he was the guard from the day before. "Why? Why would the King make an attempt on the Princess's life?"

"The King! The King is a bloated windbag and a fool. I left his service long ago."

"Then who are you? Really?"

He pointed to himself. "Me? I'm just a simple bandit." He said, walking toward me with outstretched arms.

Just a bandit? Somehow I thought there was more to it than that. "You're not telling me everything."

He stopped, just in front of me, well within striking distance of my sword. It would be a simple matter to cut him down where he stood. But I knew his men would not hesitate to kill all of us if I did. "No. I am not. I could go into a long rambling explanation of my history with the King and my grievances with his rule, but it hardly matters. You won't live long enough to care."

I tensed, preparing to attack. I would not let him kill me, not without a fight. I felt the Princess's hand on my shoulder, stopping me. "I think you shall find my knight more than capable of defending himself." She said, stepping beside me. "As can I."

"Against one, possibly two, but not all of us. Give yourself up Princess, and perhaps I will let your servants live a moment longer."

"That is hardly an offer. I would sooner die myself than give up to you." The Princess stepped slowly in front of me. As she did she brushed her hand against the slingshot the driver had given me. I was unsure of what she wanted me to do, or how so unimpressive a weapon could be useful in this situation. It would hardly hurt one of these soldiers, a minor annoyance at best. An annoyance.

Not a weapon of war, a distraction. Just enough to catch the soldiers off guard, let me get close. Shooting past my shield, with sword in hand would be difficult, but I was sure I could do it. I just needed a target. And I would need to take the shot quickly, give as little warning as possible.

I glanced around for any suitable target. Taking a shot at the leader would just get me killed. At the soldiers, hardly a distraction.

The Princess stepped further in front of me, blocking their view of my left side as best she could. I needed to act quickly, before the Princess got hurt. But I still didn't have a target. Something that I could frighten, cause commotion.

The horses! If I could hit one of the horses in the right spot, it might try to run. Leave a hole in their line. And while they were distracted, I could make a push toward one of the other soldiers. If I could get a hold of one of their bows, we might just have a chance to get out of this alive.

The only sensitive spot I had a shot at was the eyes. I decided on one of the horses just behind the leader, and that I would run for the soldier on his opposite side. I shot a quick glance to my men. They couldn't possibly know my plan, but I was sure they would act when the time came. I knew I wouldn't have time to line up the shot. I would have to take a chance.

I slowly lowered my left hand, which also held my sword, toward the slingshot. I fiddled with the bag of rocks, and pulled one, careful not to draw their attention away from the Princess. She still stood in front of me, blocking their view of me, but also standing in the way of my shot. I would need to shoot over her shoulder. If I hit her, well, at least I likely wouldn't live long enough to hear her complaints.

I made my move, slipping the slingshot from my belt and quickly lining up my shot. I loosed the rock from my grip, flinging it over the Princess's left shoulder and directly into the eye of the horse. A perfect shot.

As expected, the horse was startled. It reared up on it's hind legs, throwing the rider off it's back. The other horses, also startled by the first, backed away. Luckily, my next target hadn't moved much.

The rider of the horse in question had tied her long, red hair in a ponytail which fell to her back. I raised my shield and gripped my sword, and charged toward her.

The leader of the bandits turned and made for his horse. I ignored him. He was not my concern, my only focus on getting the Princess out of here safe. The other riders, caught off guard by my distraction, and having difficulty controlling their horses, couldn't line up a shot.

I reached the horse, grabbing for the riders hair with my right hand. And when I had it in my hand, I pulled hard, tearing her from her seat upon the beast. She dropped her bow, and it's arrow shot off wildly. I quickly snagged it midair and pulled a couple of arrows from her quiver. I lined up a shot with the leader's horse, and let the arrow fly. I hit it on the side of it's head. It ran before he could reach it, before falling over about twenty feet off.

I turned, and set another arrow to fire. Three left. I lined up a shot a rider which had fallen from her horse, and shot her in the heart. I fired another into a rider who had regained control of the beast and was aiming to shoot me. I turned to find my men had taken bows of their own and were dealing with other riders.

I lined up my last arrow with the Bandit leader. Not aiming to kill him, there were too many questions I had for him to let him die just yet. I aimed for the back of his right leg, hoping to cripple him. I let the arrow fly, but it missed it's target, just. It sliced through his right calf, and he fell to the ground. Confident I could catch him if he ran in that condition, I tossed the bow to the side, and ran toward him.

I tackled him, holding my sword to his throat. "Who are you?!" I screamed. I pressed my blade into his throat, threatening to cut it.

"Gerard…" Was all I heard. Before he could finish, I heard a woman scream from behind me.

I turned my head to see what was wrong. The Princess had fallen to the ground, her two aides huddled around her. "Sir Link!" One of the women screamed, "She's been hurt!"

I pulled my sword from the man's neck, and my knee from his gut. I ran to the Princess to inspect her wounds. I discovered an arrow imbedded deeply in her left thigh. Her dress was soaked with blood, and she winced in pain. One of the guards ran up, and gripped the arrow, ready to pull it out. "Stop!" I yelled.

"But sir." The man protested.

"If you pull it out that way, it will only do more damage. We don't have the supplies here to treat that kind of injury. It could get infected, and she could lose her leg." He loosened his grip on the arrow. "We need to get her to Clockwork as quickly as possible. They'll have doctors there who can help her."

"I'll prepare the carriage sir."

"No. I can ride faster. I'll take one of the bandit horses. The rest of you take the carriage, and follow us."

The guard saluted. "Sir!" he said.

I turned back to the Princess. "Forgive me." I whispered. I gripped her dress and tore it down the length of her leg. The wound appeared clean, but was still bleeding. I tuned back to the guard. "Soldier, I need clean cloth. Now! Anything will do!" If I couldn't stop the bleeding, she would die before we could get to Clockwork.

One of her aides tore a length of cloth from her own dress, and handed it to me. I tied it tightly around the Princess' leg as best I could without disturbing the arrow. As I'd hoped, the bleeding slowed. I sheared the arrow off about an inch above the wound with my sword, hoping the gallop of the horse wouldn't force it deeper. I gingerly picked her up off the ground, carrying her in both arms. One of the soldiers had settled one of the horses, and he helped me situate the Princess on the saddle.

I jumped up onto the horse, and then turned to my men. "Head for Clockwork as soon as you are able. Stop for nothing. When you arrive, find me." I kicked the horse to a gallop, and set my sights on Clockwork. I rode hard, hoping we would arrive before it was too late.


	4. Chapter 4: The Longest Night

Our long ride to Clockwork turned to just a blur to me. The Princess remained silent, likely in a great deal of pain. If she was conscious, she made no outward signs.

I had failed her. I had let her get hurt. I was focused on my anger, my passion, and not on my duty to her. I knew she wouldn't see it that way. She would thank me for getting her out, for saving her life. But I promised myself that I would not let it happen again, that I would not let my emotions rule me in battle. I was not a killer, I was a defender. And I had failed in that duty.

The sun had set, and still we rode. Faster than I was sure the horse could run. Perhaps it sensed my urgency, because it never once complained, never once slowed. It was a beautiful horse, a deep brown, with a white mane and tail. And she was strong. It occurred to me that I hadn't checked it's gender, but it seemed like a female to me. I tried to take my mind off everything else by thinking of names for the horse. Most of them didn't seem to fit her, but it was a nice distraction.

Finally, off in the distance I saw a faint glow, the lights of a city. Even if it wasn't Clockwork, it was a good place to stop. As I came over the crest of hill, I saw it. A large circular wall surrounding a bustling city, much larger than the Port Town. And at the center stood a Clock tower. This was our destination, our goal, the focus of our mission, though diplomacy was little more than a distant memory. All that mattered was saving the Princess.

I rode at full speed until almost on top of the city gate. A pair of Therminan guards, wearing the familiar blue armor, approached us on horseback. One of the men held his sword out toward me. "What business have you in Clockwork?" He asked.

"We are representatives of Hylia. This is the Princess of Hylia. You must have been expecting us."

"Of course sir. But you arrive much later than anticipated, and on different transport." He looked us over, likely trying to determine if we were who I said we were. I took note of the Princess' leg, crusted in blood, and the arrow protruding out of it. "She has been injured?"

"We were attacked by bandits along the road. I left the carriage carrying us, knowing I would get here faster without it. You must have doctors in the city, we require their services."

He nodded. The other guard pounded his fist upon the gate twice, and the large chains which held it started to lower. As soon as it was lowered, the guard set off on his horse down the city street. I followed him. He wound us through the mostly empty city streets, to a building near the base of the clock tower.

He dismounted his horse, as did I. He reached for the Princess, but I batted his hand away, and pulled her down off the horse myself. He led me into the building. A single dimly lit room with a door on one side, covered by a curtain. There were chairs in the room, but little else. The guard approached the door, and rang a chime next to it.

A moment passed, and we could hear the grumblings of an old man from the other side. The guard turned to me. "This is Doctor Lake's office. He's a little eccentric, but very good at what he does."

As he finished, an old man walked from the room behind the curtain. He was balding, with thin white hair on the sides which fell just above his shoulders. He had a snow white mustache and a long chin, and wore a long white coat and glasses, and stood hunched over, leaning on a polished cane. He took a look at the guard, not noticing, or at least not choosing to acknowledge, our presence. He said nothing. The guard decided to break the silence. "Doctor Lake, we have a patient for you."

He pulled his glasses to the end of his nose and looked over the guard. "You don't appear to need my services." The guard motioned in my direction. The doctor stepped closer to me, and looked me over the same way as he had the guard. He turned to face the guard again. "Neither does he. You wake me for nothing?"

"The girl, doctor." The guard said, rolling his eyes.

"The who-now?" He turned to face me. His eyes widened as he noticed the Princess in my arms. He looked her over, taking a close look at the arrow in her leg. "Oh, her. Well yes, why didn't you say so?" He turned back to the guard, hands on his hips. He waved his hand, motioning for me to follow him. "Come on then." He said. I followed, stepping through the curtain. He turned around and looked at me. "No, no, no, the girl, you half wit!"

I heard the outer door close, the guard had left. I responded. "She has an arrow in her leg, and she's barely conscious."

"Right!" He said, as if he had made some important discovery. This was the best doctor Clockwork had to offer? I briefly considered leaving and attempting to find another doctor, but I decided to trust in the judgment of the guard. He pointed to a bed along the wall of the room. There were several like it, and above them were shelves holding bottles of various colored liquids, and some other things I wasn't sure of. I laid the Princess down on the bed, and stepped away. The doctor pulled a chair closer to her, and looked over her leg, pulling up the makeshift bandages I had wrapped around her wound. He said, without facing me, "You did this?"

"As best I knew how, sir." I leaned against the wall behind the doctor.

"Hmm, not bad." He muttered under his breath. He untied the bandage, and unwrapped it from her leg, and examined the wound closely. The bandage, her dress, and her whole leg were crusted with blood. He turned to face me. "She looks okay. I'll need to clean the wound and remove the arrow, but she's going to be fine. You did good son."

It was a relief to hear. I briefly shut my eyes, and the exhaustion of the day hit me like a horse. I lost my balance, nearly falling. "Why don't you get some rest son, before you pass out. Take one of the other beds. I can take care of your friend."

Friend. I hadn't considered it, but I suppose the Princess and I were becoming friends. I took the bed farthest from the one I had laid the Princess in. I set my sword and shield against the bed, and my boots and gauntlets next to them. I propped myself up against the wall, as the bed itself was too short for me, and promptly fell asleep.

I slept for at least a few hours. When I woke, the light of dawn shone dimly in through the window. The doctor was nowhere to be found, but the Princess lay upon the same bed I had placed her in the night before.

I checked on the Princess first. The arrow had been removed, and a fresh white bandage was wrapped around her leg. Though she still wore the blood encrusted dress, she appeared to be in a better condition than she had, and she seemed to be sleeping soundly.

I retrieved my sword and shield, my boots and gauntlets, and stepped through the curtain back into the entrance room. As empty as it had been the night before. I stepped once again back to the other room and then through a door on the far end which I hadn't seen during the night. In the next room, the Doctor sat at a dark wooden desk, working on some sort of paper work. The language which he wrote seemed unfamiliar to me. He didn't notice me at first, but I cleared my throat, and he looked up from his work.

He turned slightly in his chair to better see me. "Ah, good you're awake." He said. "Your companion is sleeping peacefully. I have removed the arrow, and cleaned the wound. She will have some pain, but I don't believe it will be too serious. You saved her."

I closed the door, and leaned against it. "It was my fault she got hurt in the first place."

"Did you fire the arrow which wounded her?" I shook my head. "Then it is not your fault."

"It is my sworn duty to protect her. I failed."

He stood, and limped closer to me. He stood a full foot shorter than I, but he carried a great deal of confidence. "Given the state of the pair of you, I should guess your situation could have ended much worse." He then returned to his chair. "What happened to you two anyway?"

"We were attacked by bandits."

"Bandits. Coming down from Ika were you?"

I shook my head, "From the sea."

"The sea?" He gave a surprised look, "I have never heard of bandits travelling that far west."

"So everyone keeps saying. Who are they anyway?"

"They used to be simple robbers, but rumor is that their new leader fancies himself some sort of revolutionary. He's been kidnapping travelers along the road to Ika, and using the ransom money to finance his little war against the Crown. But this is common knowledge. I have never met someone who hadn't heard all this already. Who are you?"

I remained silent. Despite his help in saving the Princess, I wasn't sure I should tell him who we were just yet. Luckily, we were interrupted by a pained cry from the other room. It was the Princess. We rushed into the other room.

The doctor pulled a chair up next to her bed. She was awake, but obviously in pain. She pulled away from him, and looked at me. I said nothing, simply nodded to her, indicating that she could trust him. She relaxed a bit, but kept a watchful eye on the strange old man. He took a quick look over her would, and then said, "You are in pain?" She nodded. He stood, and reached for a vial of red fluid on the shelf over her bed. He showed it to her. "This will help, but not immediately. You will have to bear it for a while." She nodded. He helped her lift her head, and she slowly gulped down the red potion. He then turned to me, "I will leave you two alone. I will be in the other room should you need me." He stood from his chair and hobbled back through the door into his office.

When he had gone, I knelt next to the Princess' bed and bowed my head. "You must forgive me, Princess."

Her words were pained, and quiet, "For what, my Knight?" She turned her head slowly toward me.

"I have allowed harm to come to you. I have failed in my duty to protect you."

"And yet, as I understand it, it is you who has saved my life by bringing me here."

"Your life would not have needed saving had I not failed you."

"You did not fire the arrow that wounded me. I knew there would be risks in coming here. I knew I may not return to our homeland. And I stand ready to give my life in the name of Hylia if that is the will of the Goddess." She reached her hand slowly toward me, and gripped my arm lightly.

"I am not ready for that, Princess." I looked up to her. She smiled, and squeezed my arm.

She changed the subject. "Where are we, Link?"

I pulled the chair the doctor had been sitting in, and sat in it myself. "This is the office of Doctor Lake, in Clockwork."

"We are in Clockwork?" She painfully tried to sit up, I placed my hand on her shoulder, gently pushing her back down. "I have work to do, Link. I have a duty to prevent this war which threatens us all!" She said, as loudly as she could.

I gently squeezed her shoulder. "Princess, your only duty right now is to recover. You remain here, I will find the other diplomats and explain to them our situation. I am sure they will understand."

"The longer we wait, the more likely Thermin is to declare war against Hylia. I will not allow that to happen, no matter what the cost to myself." She pushed against my arm, trying to throw herself out of the bed. I noticed a splotch of red grow on the bandage around her leg.

Against my better judgment, I jumped over her, sitting gently on her stomach, and holding her shoulders with both hands. I said, quite sternly, "You must stop Princess, or you will harm yourself further." She threw herself back upon the bed, indignantly. I gently removed myself from her, and returned to the chair. She had turned her face to the wall, and folded her arms. "I told you earlier that I did not feel I was cut out to be a politician. And though I do not wish it, it appears I must play the part, if only for a time." She turned her head back toward me, though she wore a stern expression. "Princess, from what I have seen, the kingdom of Thermin is in no position to wage war. From what the good doctor has told me, it sounds as though this bandit we encountered is far more than a simple robber. He may in fact be planning a full on rebellion." Her eyes widened, and her expression softened.

I called to the other room. "Doctor, I believe her wound has reopened."

He came hobbling out of the room and over to the chair. I stood, and he took my place, taking note of the growing pool of red on her bandage. "What have you done, girl?"

She didn't take kindly to the doctor's tone. "I am Crown Princess of Hylia, you will not speak to me as though I am a child."

He turned his head to face her, not batting an eye at the revelation that she was royalty. "Princess or not, you are a child. I have served the Royals of Thermin for sixty-three years, and I have become quite accustomed to their attitude. I see the same expression in your eyes. But you are my patient. And I'll not have you hurting yourself."

She looked up at me, and I bowed my head slightly. I spoke to the doctor, "I have tasks which I must attend to doctor, I leave her in your care."

She turned and spoke softly to the doctor, "Might I have another moment with my Knight?"

He nodded. "Quickly, I must tend to your wound." He rose from his chair and limped slowly to the other end of the room.

I knelt next to the Princess. We spoke softly, so the doctor could not hear us. "Link," She said, "I would ask that you speak with the other diplomats. Keep them talking, stall this conflict for as long as you can. Until I am well enough, I leave this in your hands."

"I will try Princess." I placed my hand gently on her shoulder.

"Have faith in yourself, as I have in you. The Goddess walks with you. Trust in her wisdom."

I stood, and saluted the Princess, then turned and walked out of the building.

The white-maned horse I had ridden the night before still stood proudly next to the building, despite not having tied it. I mounted the horse, and rode back toward the gate though which we had entered the night before, hoping to find a stable to secure the beast. I found one near the gate, though it occurred to me I had no money with which to pay the stable master.

A guard, who stood near the gate approached me as I dismounted the horse. He wore the more ornate armor, denoting him as a Royal guard. "Sir Link!" He called out. He saluted as he came closer, "Sir, I have orders. I am to assist you as you have need of it during your stay here in Clockwork." He pulled a paper, stamped the seal of Thermin, and containing his orders. "I am also to inform you sir ,that until the Princess has recovered from her injuries, the negotiations have been put on hold."

"I understand guard, but the Princess does not wish to wait too long. She fears the situation could deteriorate without her presence. She has given me her blessing to begin negotiations in her absence."

He bowed slightly "Of course sir. I shall inform the others." He turned and began to walk away.

It occurred to me that he might be able to assist me in the care of the horse I had come to possess. I called out to him again. "Another thing guard." He turned, and walked back to me. "I have need of a place to stable my horse. Though it seems I have nothing with which to pay for her care."

His eyes widened in understanding. He went to speak with the owner of the nearby stable. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but the guard returned a few moments later with the other man. The stable owner led the horse back toward his stables, and the guard spoke to me. "I have made arrangements with the man here." He motioned toward the stables, "He cares for the horses of many of the guards here in town, and as it happens, he owed me a favor. You may stable your horse here as long as you have need of it."

"Thank you guard." I bowed my head slightly to him.

"Oh! One last thing sir. He has inquired as to the name of the horse."

I had considered many names for the noble steed, but had yet to settle on one. "As it happens, I stole this horse from one of the bandits who attacked us. I haven't yet named her. You wouldn't have any suggestions?"

The guard mulled the thought over in his head for a moment. His eyes lit up briefly, and he said, "There is a legend here in Thermin of a Knight who carried an injured woman across the country on a horse with a white mane. The name of that horse was Epona. I think it is rather fitting. Don't you?"

"Epona. I think that will do nicely."

I bowed briefly to the guard. He saluted again, and then set off down the street. I went another direction, exploring the city. I thought it might be helpful to know my way around, just in case.

**First off, I'm sorry this took so long. I kinda had surgery and haven't been working on it. For further reference, this is being reposted here from my DeviantArt page. So, I'm way, way ahead of what I've been putting up. My goal is to stay pretty well ahead of what's up here, but given my previous attempts, I wouldn't count on it.**


	5. Chapter 5: Days Gone By

I wandered the city for an hour or so, making note of various shops and services I came across. I ended up near the clock tower again, and decided I should check on the Princess.

The moment I entered the back room, I could already tell she was in better spirits. When she saw me, her eyes widened and gave me a tired smile. It was obvious that the doctor's medicines had numbed her mind somewhat, as well as her pain. The doctor himself sat in a chair on the other end of the room, buried in a book.

I grabbed another chair and sat next to the Princess. The events of the past few days had worn her, and she fell asleep before long. With little else to do, I sat with her for a while. She awoke a few hours later, and seemed more alert.

The doctor looked up from his book. He stood, and slowly limped over to her bedside. I offered him my chair, which he accepted. He checked her leg, and then looked into her eyes. After a few moments, he spoke to her, "You seem much better. Are you in any pain?"

She spoke, her voice stronger than it had been earlier. "A little."

"That is to be expected. I am afraid you will have to bear it."

I was concerned the doctor would not give her any more of his potion. "Can you not give her something to dull the pain, doctor." I asked.

"I could, yes. But as I am sure you have noticed it has the effect of dulling the mind as well. It's effects can also become somewhat addictive. I will give her more tonight so she may sleep comfortably. But I would prefer that we wait until then." He turned to the Princess. "Is that okay?" She nodded her approval. "Good. I think it would be helpful if you were to sit up."

The doctor and I helped the Princess to sit on the side of the bed. The doctor returned to his book, and I sat in the chair by the bed. Having the first look at herself since the day before, she noticed the sorry state of her dress. It was still crusted with blood and dirt, and the long gash I had torn made her frown. "My apologies." I said, "But I had little choice."

She smiled. "Again you apologize for nothing. I suppose we will need to work on that. Though, I would like to change into something clean. Are my aides not present?"

I shook my head. "I am afraid not. I left them and my men with the carriage. And I must say I was focused so much on your care, Princess, that I hadn't thought about it. They should have arrived by now."

"Quite troubling that they have not." She said.

"I could set off down the road to look for them if you should like."

She shook her head. "No. While the safety of the others is indeed of my concern, I am afraid I must ask you to stay. Until I am well, I need you at my side. Perhaps you can ask the town guard to look for them?" I nodded. "But now, please tell me of our mission. What have you to tell me?"

"We've been assigned a liaison to the other diplomats. He is a guard, named… uh." She gave me an inquisitive look. I shrugged my shoulders, "I regret I have neglected to ask. In any case, at last we spoke he was to arrange for me to speak with the others. I have not heard any news from him as of yet."

"It is progress none the less. In the mean time, might I ask you to find me some new clothes somewhere in town?"

"I've spent some time wandering town, in case we needed anything. I don't believe it will be too difficult."  
The doctor looked up from his book. "There's a clothier just down the street. I have used their services for years."

I turned to speak with him. "I don't really have any money." He tossed me a small bag. I opened it to discover a small assortment of colored gems. Rupees, the same currency we used in Hylia. "Are you certain?" I asked. "I can't exactly pay you back."

"I am a servant of the Crown, and you are their guests. You needn't worry about the money. Though I am not sure how far that will get you. You might try to find work about town. There's some new construction going on near the north gate. I'm not sure what they're building, but I'm sure they would accept any help you could give."

"You are too kind doctor." I said, thanking him for his assistance.

I left the doctor's, and headed down the street to the clothier he spoke of. They carried a wide assortment of dresses and tunics, and though none were particularly befitting of a Princess, they would certainly suffice until her aides arrived. I selected a simple dress in blue and white, hoping it would be about her size, and paid the owner of the establishment. He folded the garment and placed it in a white box.

I returned to the doctor's office, where I discovered that he had left to find the Princess something to eat. She pulled the dress I had selected from the box with great interest.

"I hope it is to your liking, Princess." I said. "It's not as ornate as the dress you are wearing, but at least it isn't destroyed."

She smiled at my joke. "I really don't like wearing these dresses." She said, continuing to look over the new dress I had bought her. "A necessary evil I suppose. 'A Princess isn't really a Princess unless she looks like it.'" She looked up at me. "At least, that's what my father says."

I had only met the King once, just before I was knighted. He seemed like serious and uncaring man. But the Princess spoke of him like a joyous and loving father. The two faces of royalty. She did it too. When she put on her Royal gown she became a different person. Serious and logical. I much preferred her other side, the carefree girl. Now that we were in Clockwork, I supposed it would be a while before I saw much of that girl again.

"I like this better." She said, laying her hands upon the dress.

"As do I. I am glad you like it."

I left the room, giving the Princess some privacy so she could change. A few minutes passed, and then she called out to me. "Link, I require your assistance."

I passed back through the curtain that separated the two rooms, and caught the Princess struggling to fully remove her dress. She had pulled the top portion of the dress down, but was having trouble getting the cumbersome fabric past her injured leg without hurting herself. Making the task more difficult was the fact that she was standing on one leg, and using a chair to support herself. With only one arm to remove her dress, I could see why she was having trouble.

I stood in place, somewhat shocked, for just a moment. He chest was covered by a tightly wrapped cloth around her chest, which frankly did little to conceal much of anything. I caught myself staring, and looked away, embarrassed. I nervously said, "How… How can I help Princess?"

She continued her attempts to remove the dress as she spoke, "I seem to be, ugh… stuck." She put her hand on her hip as she said the last word, giving up.

"I'm not really sure what I can do Princess." I looked back at her, trying to focus on looking her directly in the eyes.

"I need you to remove this dress for me. I'll fall over if I try to do it myself."

"You want me to what?"

"Oh come on. It's not like you've never seen a girl in her underwear before." I gave her a blank expression. "Sister? Girlfriend?" I shook my head. "Well, no matter. I need your help." I approached the Princess, careful not to let my eyes drift south. She noticed my awkward stare at the top of her head. "You're going to have to look at some point. Don't worry, I trust you."

I awkwardly grabbed the dress near her waist, trying in vain to remove it. "How did you get this on in the first place?" I asked, rhetorically.

"I usually have help for this sort of thing."

After a minute or so of struggling, I managed to force the dress past her hips, but not without consequence. My hand slipped, and I knocked the chair out from under her hand. As she started to fall, I managed to slip my arms beneath hers, ending up in an awkward sort of embrace. Though she was hardly heavy, supporting her weight in the clumsy position was difficult, and I knew we would both fall before long. I managed to sort of aim her toward the bed, hoping she wouldn't be hurt by the fall, and we went over. I managed to avoid landing on her left leg, but ended up more or less on top of her, for the second time just today. I hoped we wouldn't make a habit out of this.

I looked down at her. "Are you okay?" I asked.

"That hurt, but I think I'm alright." I lingered for a moment, looking straight into her eyes. Apparently, I wanted to embarrass myself again. "You can get up now." She said.

I immediately hopped up from the bed, and helped her back into a sitting position. I checked her bandages to make sure she wasn't bleeding again, and then sat on the bed next to her.

I reached to the other side of the bed, and picked up the box with the dress in it. I pulled the dress out and handed it to the Princess. "Perhaps, next time you get shot, Princess, you should wear something a little less cumbersome."

"I'd prefer to just not get shot." I looked over to her. She wore a wide smile. We both burst out laughing.

"Ahem! Am I interrupting something?" We heard a voice from nearby. Both the Princess and I look over to see who it was. We discovered a man wearing the uniform of a Therminan Royal Guard. The same man who I had met with this morning. The Princess screamed, and covered herself with the dress. I stood, and ushered the man outside. "My apologies, Sir Link." He removed his helmet. Contrary to most of the Therminan people I had seen, he had light skin and blonde hair. "I tried knocking, but you didn't answer."

"It's alright. If you will give me a moment, we can speak with the Princess." He bowed slightly, and I returned to the other room. The Princess had already donned the blue and white dress. I am pleased to say it fit her nicely. I picked up the chair I had knocked over, and set it next to the bed. She nodded, and I pushed the curtain aside.

The guard entered again. He bowed to the Princess. "My apologies for walking in on you milady."

"It's quite alright. You are our liaison to the other diplomats, yes?" She said, trying to sound and look as official as possible, despite her disheveled appearance.

"Yes Ma'am."

"Your name, guardsman?"

"Midas, Ma'am."

"Very well, Midas, what news have you for us?"

He turned back to me. "The others have agreed to meet with you, Sir. Tonight, if at all possible. I am sure they would be quite pleased to see the Princess as well," He turned again to face her, "If you're feeling up to it Ma'am."

"As much as I would like to, I will leave this is the capable hands of my Knight for the time."

"Of course Ma'am. In the meantime, is there anything else I can do to assist you?"

"As a matter of fact, there is." I said. "We had a small group accompanying us. Two Hylian soldiers and two women. I left them after the Princess was hurt. I would have thought they would arrive last night, but we have yet to hear from them."

"Quite troubling, Sir. I shall inquire of the town guard if anyone has seen them. If not, I will send a patrol along the western road to search for them."

"There's an overturned carriage along the road. That's where we were attacked."

"I will tell my men to look for it."

"Thank you, Midas." The Princess said. He bowed, and turned to leave.

At the same time, the doctor returned. He brought with him an assortment of meats and cheeses and pastries. It was the first thing I had eaten since the day before, and found myself quite hungry.

I took a few hours for a nap. I figured I would need it before my meeting with the other diplomats that evening.


End file.
